One debate settled for now

The astonishing collapse of the Lankans thanks to some extremely disciplined and intelligent bowing by Praveen Kumar may have settled one debate at least, if India (and they must) make it to the final today itself.

The Indians will surely be going in with five bowlers for the best of three-tussle, unless they suffer an unexpected batting collapse today and reach the finals only courtesy an Australian win over Lanka.

That is perfectly logical too. Going by the way this series has gone, low scores have dominated the scoresheets of all the three sides, with just two 270+ scores possible in the series so far.

So it makes sense to continue with five-bowler policy to ensure that the Australians are not allowed to get away with their free-flowing ways. If they make runs, they are virtually impossible to chase.

And how an effective fifth bowler (Praveen Kumar today) can change the complexion of a game! At 72 for one after 14 overs, Lankans looked unstoppable. And at 93 for seven after 26 overs, the same side was looking so miserable.

The only debate now will be the batting composition. Sehwag may not have delivered in the ODI series, but so have some other senior batsmen. Tendulkar has so far failed to reach a fifty while Yuvraj managed just one, though a match-clincher against Sri Lanka.

The pressure is going to be far less today and with Sri Lanka not likely to go much above 100, the do-or-die battle may have fizzled out, providing an opportunity, at least to Tendulkar, to get back to his Test Series’ form. A fifty from him today will make India feel little more secure going into the business end of the CB series, a tourney they have never won.

We did not go for big bucks in the IPL, but we can play!

Can’t reproduce the exact words but it was a very interesting observation made by Ravi Shastri just after Australia had crossed 100 at a terrific rate of 7.7, with the loss of just one wicket.

The former Indian skipper could not have been more on target. Gilchrist may have failed to live up to the early promise, but Ponting and Hayden ensured that his good work (initial blitzkrieg) was not wasted, as they launched into a breathtaking assault on the Indians.

From such position, Australia seldom lose their way. That is the hallmark of champions. But that precisely will be India’s challenge. To first restrict them to a chasable score (something under 300), and then go for it. After all, they look to be the only real challengers to Australian supremacy as of now. It will also be a big chance for Sehwag to prove that he is a must-in for the rest of the matches.

Meanwhile, if one recalls, Dhoni had said after India’s loss against Australia last week that the best thing about Munaf was that he did not think much and, so, bowled according to the field!

If one did not realize the significance of the statement then, the message must have been loud and clear today. Aggression in ODIs is 'bowling good line and length with reasonable speed'. Going wayward is a sure shot recipe for disaster.

As of now, the way the Australians have batted it seems they had a point to prove. One fears that by the end of the day, they will have proved it.

Commodification is complete!

It was unnerving, almost frightening, and at the same time amusing to see the pricing war going on (courtesy various channels). Kaun Banega crorepati contest of different nature was on, and, as widely anticipated, all the big stars had turned crorepatis by the end of the first few rounds of the contest. Shah Rukh was just one of the anchors in an event, unprecedented in India in terms of scale and novelty. However, some of the crorepatis may still not be smiling, as, without cap, they are perceived to be much more.

Coming back to the auction. Mercifully, only the names were auctioned and stars were not there in person. Else it would have been like the dark medieval ages, when the man in charge of auction will describe the various features of a product, and then allow the moneyed ones to take charge.

Though the players (already millionaires) hardly fit the description of an ancient slave, but parallels are unmistakable.

Looks like, the commodification of our star-studded, cricket system is complete. The ones we always applauded for their commitment to the country, will become rich man’s toy. When Zee had come in with ICL, one did hear money versus country! Did not we?

Meanwhile, one saw an angry Modi on stage (beamed live/deferred live), constantly feeling disturbed by cell phone wielding journos trying to give feedback to their offices. But that is a momentary feeling. He has done a job. One may not agree with the moral aspects of bidding in this gentleman’s game, but in commercial terms, he has turned out to be a genius.

Personally, I am not sure if the move is going to succeed in the long run. Some amounts could drastically come down in the coming years. The fun of seeing some greats in action is nothing compared to the patriotism, which even a contest between India and Zimbabwe generates.

Probably the better thing would have been to assign money for each star, and design a system of lots to ensure a fair distribution of teams.

Too late now. Describing this milestone event, Bindra called it 'exciting and wonderful drama' on telly. That sums it up.

There is a limit to human need, but not to human greed

Mahatma Gandhi once said somewhat similar words, when talking about the virtue of satisfaction.

And that is precisely one has come to realize when one hears about players' opinion (real or imaginary) on the money on offer (after bidding) in IPL.

That is why, reading Anand Vasu’s story in HT was such an eye opener. He calculated that some players could still be getting close to Rs 10 lakh per game, or an almost 500 per cent increase from what they are paid to play for India in an ODI (2.2 lakh)!

Imagine ten lakh per 150 minute of cricket! At least three of these players will be the ones who had no role to play in Indian’s twenty20 triumph, but will benefit from their iconic status (Icons certainly they are, but not of twenty20 version) .

Still there were calls to have no cap on bidding amount! Predictably, big groups which stand to gain most, are behind such campaign. And why not? If they have made such big bids, they would like their teams to be packed with all superstars, leaving crumbs for the smaller franchises. They do not like to get beaten. Never in business, and cricket is big business.

Mercifully, they have not succeeded as it could have killed the league in its very first year. After all, nothing is more injurious to the health of the game than seeing one or two teams winning almost all their games.

By putting cap, it has been ensured that some sanity has been restored to the proceedings. Hopefully, this arrangement will not be tampered with for next few years.

By investing more in their teams' training, and getting best possible support staff, the serious ones (read big corporates) can still call the shots. What IPL needs is big time cricketing investment, and not just investment in cricketers. They will be serving cricket more by seeing that.

To round it off, in a country where 1/5th of the rural population still survives on Rs 12 a day, some people getting 83333 times more (at Rs 10 lakh per game. Even one lakh per game will make it 8333 times more!), and still hoping for more can be quite sickening.

Today's result was a writer's delight

First of all, a miracle happened. Another match became a possibility in this weather marred tournament! Things looked really bleak this morning and nothing could have been a bigger letdown than getting up at 4.30, and waiting endlessly, only to see the match going the same way as the first two matches of the series involving India.

Second, a virtual twenty20 encounter had its share of some excellent performances. It was a treat to watch Jayasuriya’s pyrotechnics, Rohit Sharma’s tremendous stroke-making abilities, and a superb knock from Dilshan to ensure that Sri Lanka finally earned some winnings points!

Third, the series is still alive and kicking. It would have possibily become a two horse race, had Sri Lanka failed to chase a reasonable India target, made modest by the weather thanks to further cut down in overs. Two consecutive defeats at the hands of Australia and India would have put some serious question marks over their ability to come back and hit the track again.

As for India, one can expect mild criticism from experts after this ‘let down’. Mild because Indians were the victims of weather to a large extent. Of course, another ‘failure’ for Yuvraj to ‘survive’ (though this time he was in a no-win situation) will renew the calls for bringing back the original replacement (Tiwary), or some fresh opportunity for Raina or Karthik.

The Indian bowling, after such a splendid show against Australia in both the matches (rain curtailed as well as the one which completed its full course), could come under some scrutiny for sure. And why not? That is editor's prerogative.

As for most of those who are compelled to watch a series just because it is part of their profession, it is always better to be watching something alive and kicking. Lankans ensure that today.

Their clinical show at Canberra has renewed the hope that this tournament has the potential to go down to the wire, before the final countdown begins. That certainly augurs well for the rest of the cricketing journey this season.

India must leave its obsession with World Cups

Peter Roebuck is to writing, what Ian Chappell is to commentary. No holds barred comments, and no taking sides (One could also include Sunny and Bishan here). They speak from the heart, without being too diplomatic, and at times get barrage of criticism from every quarter. The duo represent the ultimate in media, both in terms of integrity, and extremely valuable inputs.

Now, it was very interesting to read Roebuck’s views about 2011, which somehow escaped the attention of most of the media.

While commending India for being on the right track with its ODI side for the competition, he also said that ‘’Much has been made of the need to build a team for the 2011 World Cup. That is foolish. It is unwise to be thinking about an event so far away.’’

The comments could not have been more timely. If one just concentrate’s on winning matches consistently, it automatically improves one’s chances of winning such tournament. Basically, preparing for future is just a hogwash. It tends to become an alibi for failures. You select players, appoint coaches, with a view to win something good three years away!

Here Roebuck adds ‘’An awful lot can change in a week, with injuries, losses of form, new faces, ten-over cricket starting and so forth. Goodness knows how much might alter in three years!’’

In such a fast paced sporting world, three years is a lifetime indeed. One may not have Tendulkar and Sehwag to open, and one could well be grappling with newer combinations. Just compare the ODI side in early 2005 with the one we have playing today, and you will know.

But the most important thing Roebuck emphasizes is that ‘’It is foolish to place so much emphasis on a single tournament. The All Blacks tend to think only about the Rugby World Cup and as a result usually freeze when the time comes. Instead India must set out to win as many matches as possible.’’

Did not we see that in World Cup 2007! Frozen footwork and numb stroke play due to unreasonable expectations. So much of hype followed by muck on our idols after they crashed out. India could have done better without so much pressure.

So cricket administrators will do well to pay heed to what Roebuck has to say. Do not do so much of advance planning. Winning more and more matches is much more important, than a trophy, which is put on display just once in four years.

LIFE GOES ON (followed by all the links in Test Series Sydney Onwards)

‘’In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life. It goes on’’

Mercifully, I read this quote by Robert Frost in the Times of India only after the match had been called off yesterday. The whole tension was over and everyone was back to their life. Only life, and the way people went about doing their jobs, mattered and not cricket anymore.

The same must be true of the Indian Cricket Team as well. Anticipating massive criticism in the press and visual media for sending so many ‘’Debutants in ODIs in Australia/Debutants in Australian ODIs’’, they must have closed their eye and ear to any clamour of call back Sourav, call back Dravid. It was important for them not to listen to the pearls of wisdom if life were to, in Frost’s words, go on.

True, India will suffer immensely without these two. At times one has to stand and weather the body blows, which Dravid is eminently capable of. And at times, one has to show resolve and class needed to succeed at this level, and against this kind of foe, which Sourav has demonstrated time and again.

But then, one has to make do with whatever one has got. To be fair to ‘’batsmen debutants in ODIs in Australia’’, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, and M S Dhoni did reasonably well before they got out.

Tiwary failed miserably but then when you are attempting to counter Brett Lee’s speed, any traces of Jet Lag can be lethal.

When even the most accomplished and experienced of Indian batsmen had failed in Melbourne Test, we had called it an inevitable result due to the failure to have a few quality matches before the Test Showdown. Then why not now. Forget the second innings of Sydney, but at Adelaide, all the experience could have come to naught but for Sehwag’s scintillating century.

Before commenting on the unseemly dismissal of Uthappa in the first ODI, one will also do well to recall his unbeaten 47 against England at Oval, and a similar score against Australia at Mumbai, which earned India unlikely wins, against all odds.

Give them some time. If it was unfair to leave Sourav out, it will be equally unfair to bombard the Indian team with such criticism after their first fifty50 encounter (Twenty20 was just a practice match considering race row had marred all preparation). We have never won a tri-series in Australia and the occasions we have won, can only be counted on fingers. With or without the experienced players!

below are LINKS to stories posted in January beginning Sydney Test.

Mr Fix It, and Roebuck's Rebuke
Losers in Race Abuse Fiasco
From Gallows to Glory
BE POSTIVE
Pressure is a Privilege
With so many left handers in the Australian side.....
One wishes to see a happy India, not unhappy one o...
What an Indian fan/writer wishes to see by the en...
India were bold, but not bold enough
Possible combinations if India play five bowlers
The timing could not have been worse!
I STILL DO NOT HAVE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE WIN...
After Bucknor, Benson's experience...
Prey Turns Predator
As Australia begin their reply...
Sehwag's terrible miss on day of Irfan's hits
Do not get despondent, we still lead by a whopping...
India lead the series by eight to seven
India have Australia by the scruff of the neck
The best ever quote on Kumble
A sullen, forlorn Bhajji, whose bunny was stolen a...
How were you dismissed Dad!
As they go into day two, Points India must not los...
Muddai lakh bura chahe to kya hota hai!!!
WHAT I DID followed by WHAT NOT TO EXPECT FROM PER...
What not to expect from Perth's encounter
Kumble, and the essence of Indian spirit
They have come to watch my batting,not your umpiri...
'If India have to get in Sehwag, this is the time'...
India had to chose between dishonour and war
Time to Talk Cricket, and the opening combination
Wisdom prevails as Spirit of Cricket Wins -- ICC r...
Three ways to Save the Tour
Kumble is no angel, but.....
Unusual defence
See the link below on what we anticipated on Day ...
97 per cent in favour of tour being called off!
Were umpires acting under a brief
Bucknor is our man of the Match
The Wheel that squeaks!
What Bucknor Stands for!!!
Team for Perth should have Sehwag, Karthik, Pathan...
As anticipated, India grimly fight to 'live anothe...
India will fight to 'live another day' as Australi...
Yuvraj scoring with Deepika is BAD publicity!
Harbhajan has gone mad!
What did you do Bhajji!
Neutral umpires are fine but...
India leading by THREE HUNDRED RUNS at Sydney!
52 RUNS IN NINE INNINGS! ...
Tremendous run-rate, but honours even
The feminine side of Gilchrist!
Obeservations that VVS made
A hundred worth their weight in Gold
Rerouting Buch's advice.....
Tales of Blind men in Indian Print Media Today
Salim, Aur Tum kuch kar bhi kya sakte the! (Salim,...
Forget about an explosive start from india
A series that ended in five days thanks to outrage...
Sensational Daylight robbery at Sydney....
Aussie Grit; Deaf Bucknor
Prophetic Ponting!
Ridiculous decision on half use of Technology
This Sickening Cricket Addiction!!!!!!
Sehwag Left out of India Team?
Buch's free advice to struggling India
Sehwag-Dravid Combo finds one more supporter

Mr Fix It, and Roebuck's Rebuke

"Just fix it then," Ponting was understood to have said when emotions flared, says a report.

What else can a hapless skipper do. Too much of monetary loss for Cricket Australia staring at their face. And with a face saving alibi in Hindi abuse M…K, it would have been prudent to entertain a verdict, which could save the tour.

A win for Harbhajan and Tendulkar, but India must not celebrate. They did overplay their card, and invited worldwide criticism for being big brother. May be they did not charter a private plane in case Bhajji was banned, but the rumours were allowed to circulate for far too long to ensure an impact on the eventual verdict.

It is high time for the Indians to pay heed to the words of Roebuck, who has slammed them for crude, naked aggression, just as he did when Ponting was slammed for converting the Australian team into a ‘’pack of Wild Dogs’’. Then, we read that with glee. Now we should do it as sober people, as we reflect back on how the things shaped up.

Aggression must be used prudently because power has a tendency of getting into the head. A very strong tendency. If I still remember correctly, two days back Jadeja on NDTV DID NOT entertain the thought of cutting on the tour now. And why not? What India may have gained after Sydney with their aggression, they may have lost with that streak of stubbornness after Adelaide.

It is not to say that Bhajji was guilty. He may have genuinely uttered a Hindi abuse, which could have been heard as Monkey by Symonds. After all, our ear are always attuned to receiving what we strongly believe in. But then was it disclosed to Procter? Or was it just an afterthought to ensure that the credibility of both the sides does not suffer?

Then, the incident happened on Day three of Sydney. Two days should have been sufficient for host broadcasters to hand over the stump mike proceedings to Procter. Probably, hearing on Harbhajan could have been delayed for few more days.

It is funny that Bhajji’s past record of ‘disciplinary infractions’ was not given to Hansen. Did Hansen ask for such record before the proceedings took place. Any judge is expected to do that.

And if he did, but ICC failed, then it reflect very badly on their competence.

And if ICC lied on Harbhajan’s past record, the whole thing becomes even more murkier and serious.

Just to add in Jest, if Monkey was M..K, then was Big, actually Pig! And Again heard incorrectly! Indians can have fun talking endlessly about it, but the Aussie surely won’t enjoy.

Losers in Race Abuse Fiasco

ICC: Made lots of noises, but failed to back them with words. Their match referee for Sydney was too incompetent, or biased depending on how strong one feels about the whole affair.

Broadcasters: For their failure to give Stump mike proceedings in time for action. They had full two days to do that before the first hearing

BCCI: Threat the first time was legitimate, the second time it looked overplayed. That is why so much criticism now. They could have been little more subtle about withdrawal.

Harbhajan: If he did not tell Mike Proctor that he had indeed abused Symonds, and not racially abused him. And abusing someone's near and dear ones on the field is equally nauseating!

The only winner was media. One can bet that TRPs must have touched the stratosphere between Sydney and Perth!

From Gallows to Glory

For a person with just casual acquaintance with cricket, the recent test series against Australia can broadly be divided into four phases

Australian dominance
In the first test at Melbourne, the Australians were all over us and the way they had fielded and bowled, it looked the end of the world for India.

Though former Australian skipper Ian chappell praised the Indians for not allowing the Australians run up to really huge totals in excess of 500, India batsmen let down their bowlers by failing to cross even 200 in any of its innings . The massive 337 run defeat thanks to inept batting in both the innings was something India could have done without. The challengers looked just another of those hopeless pretenders to the Australian crown.

Indian fight back strangulated by Umpires
Bucknor justifiably got the axe after Sydney but the damage had been done with Australia 2-0 up. India could at best draw the series now.

Contrast this with day one when Australia were reeling at 134 for six. It was a glorious opportunity indeed, but Bucknor saw no edge, heard no edge. And when Indians batted in their second innings, again he saw what he wanted to see. Not to mention that he had an ably ally in Benson.

After Sydney collapse, everything looked doomed. Glenn McGrath even predicted a 0-4 whitewash, and for once no one really disagreed with the Australian great. The Indians looked too demoralized despite winning the battle for removal of Bucknor, and a suspended sentence on Harbhajan. They were, after all, headed for Perth, where no visiting team had won in last ten years. To fans, Indian team heading back home after racism controversy was not such a bad idea after all.

Inspired selections help India claw back
The entry of Sehwag, Irfan, and Kumble winning the toss turned the form book upside down at Perth. Sehwag ensured a solid start, Irfan delivered with both bat and ball, and Indian fielding looked like coming to terms with the vastness of the Australian fields. Hunters, for once, looked hunted as unthinkable happened at Perth. For a moment, it looked even better than Kolkatta 2001, even though both are incomparable, landmark wins.

Honours even
India may have lost 1-2 after drawing at Adelaide, but the honours can only be said to be even at the end of such a grueling campaign. They made Australia crawl and suffer on the first three days, so much so that their scoring rate became a matter of fun for Sehwag. And then he rubbed it in with an excellent, match saving knock of 150 plus.

Considering the arena, the circumstances, and some shoddy umpiring, the Indians can celebrate tonight as if they have won a series. After all, it could also have been 0-4!

BE POSTIVE

Yesterday evening, when Sehwag was asked about the only two possibilities remaining in the test, of Australia’s win and a draw, he refused to entertain the argument that India were out of the match as far as winning was concerned.

Today, just 24 overs bowled by Australia in a session controlled by Sehwag, and run-a-ball innings (from 31 overnight to 100) showed what he meant. There was a time when over 30 runs in the morning session, scored by batsmen, had all come of Sehwag’s blade. That happened when Dravid got injured, and went out, and Tendulkar looked intent on defending for some time, and justifiably so.

The century was simply tremendous, and came in circumstance most mentally testing.

It may have finished the match in the 1st session itself. With India leading by over hundred runs, only a collapse bigger than Sydney can ensure their defeat now.

For the first time in his career, Sehwag reached a three-figure mark in the second innings. That should help him and his fans believe that he is not a Lion in the 1st innings, and Lamb in the second.

If only he had played at Sydney! After Mauling at Melbourne, there were calls from Steve Waugh and Ian Chappell to include him in the test team for Sydney.
http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/sehwag-left-out-of-india-team.html

But coming from the Australians, many believed it was a part of their mental disintegration strategy.

In the hindsight, not playing him in the 1st two tests was an opportunity lost. An opportunity to at least draw the series.

Still, today's knock should stand him in good stead for the challenges ahead. For now, it may have stolen away Gilchrist's farewell present!

Pressure is a Privilege

That is what Billie Jean King had written to Maria Sharapova in a text message before the Australian Open final. May be, that helped Sharapova squeeze her large frame out of a tight corner, when she was trailing 4-5 0-30 in the first set.

And that is what India will need to remember when they get up tomorrow morning and gear up for the battle to save the test. A result not foreseen by many commentators. Dean Jones too, till yesterday, was only discussing the possibility of a draw or India’s win.

It may be a bit premature to discuss that possibility of survival right now at lunch time, but the possibility is real indeed considering the inability of the umpires to muster up the courage to give even the most glaring of leg before decisions. Nearing the business end of one of the most competitive of series, the umpires too seem to be playing safe, and why not! One can only say that they have decided to award LBWs only in the rarest of rare cases.

Australia, if they end up today day with a lead of around 125 to 150, may even declare overnight to put the top order of India under pressure.

Scares of Sydney revisited? Well, they will if India try only to defend. They will have to fight with uncluttered mind as they go about the business of saving the test and hope that the umpires maintain the consistency, with which they have refused to give leg before decisions. Sehwag took a potshot at Australian slow scoring rate on Saturday saying ‘’they are scared.’’ Now, India will have to show Australia how to score on day five as a purely defensive approach could be suicidal.

The most disappointing factor has been, as Gavaskar said, the very very disappointing bowling. Strange things have happened in this test. India crossed 500 with six regular batsmen, and may have failed to put brakes on Australia reaching over 550-600 for the first time in the series. Though things could have been little different had RP not been ruled out little too early.

Meanwhile, Sania Mirza will be looking to create history in an hour or two from now. For once, tennis will upstage cricket with India’s chances looking much brighter in Melbourne, than at Adelaide!

With so many left handers in the Australian side...

…..and rough marks outside their off stump leading to unpredictable bounce, it makes sense to give Sachin Tendulkar much more bowling post lunch. He is definitely a big leg spinner, and a spinning delivery with disconcerting bounce from those marks can, at times, be more lethal than Harbhajan’s outgoing deliveries which a left hander can easily leave. Wasim Akram just now said that Harbhajan should go over the wicket to make batsmen play more. Meanwhile do read the post just below on what India should do on day three, posted yesterday. http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/one-wishes-to-see-happy-india-not.html

One wishes to see a happy India, not unhappy one on Day three

-- Do not worry, be happy, even if Australian top order clicks. Unless Australia make in excess of 600 runs, they can’t hope to win this test. Realistically speaking, the only winner right now look to be India. So the worst case scenario, as of now, is a 1-2 result. Even that should be quite acceptable to the Indian public considering the way the visitors have fought back in this most exciting of series with blood thirsty warriors. Meanwhile, India did achieve some of its objectives today.
http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-indian-fanwriter-wishes-to-see-by.html

-- We are playing this match with eight bowlers (Ganguly, Sehwag and Tendulkar included), just like we played the match with eight batsmen (Kumble and Harbhajan included!). So, India must strive to make all their resources count. At times, as we saw at Perth, a big or potentially lethal partnership gets broken by the most underrated of bowlers. India would not have been able to win Kolkatta without Sachin’s three crucial strikes in 2001.

-- Whatever be the situation, put Harbhajan and Ishant from two ends when Ponting is on crease. The best time to get him is early on. One casting a web around him, and the other making him jump with his steep bouncy stuff, should be a sight to behold.

-- Harbhajan says agar pata hota ki aage kya hone wala hai to out na hota, 100 bana leta (Had I known what is going to happen next, I would have not missed out on a hundred). Well, quite a philosophical statement. One must take a leaf out of Bhajji’s book, and enjoy the glorious uncertainties of this series. The wicket is good and an acceptance that Australians can also come up with a big score, will help India plan their winning strategy better.

What an Indian fan/writer wishes to see by the end of Day Two

India sitting pretty on a 400+ score. If India can manage that, it will surely have quite a few Australians anxious, and thinking. Shall we then call it Perth scare revisited?

A double century for Tendulkar will be a fitting tribute to his exploits on the Australian soil for last one and a half decade. He is still a long way away. But even if the great man does not achieve that, just by reaching closer he will have done the Indian cause a great deal of good.

The Indian tail to wag a little, just as they had done in the crucial second innings at Perth, and the 1st innings of Sydney. Nothing bothers a batting side more than a stubborn tail wagging.

Five bowlers to work their magic like five Pandavas. The whole press in India has gone berserk advocating for more ammunition to make it 2-2. Now their job is to get cracking when they get their chance sometime tomorrow.

Nothing will give India more satisfaction than the Australians looking at their watches and praying for the day to end. They are undoubtedly a champion side, but right now the momentum is well and truly with the Indians.

India were bold, but not bold enough

Still they managed to have a good first session courtesy Sehwag, which augurs well as of now.

While opting for a five bowler attack in this do-or-die battle was a bold move, a makeshift opener in Irfan meant they were not bold enough to sacrifice a batsman for an opener in Karthik.

http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/possible-combinations-if-india-play.html

Irfan may have done exceptionally well as nightwatchman at Perth, and in ODIs at number three under Greg, still opening the batting is not his cup of tea. And it was found out very soon. To succeed in Australia, you need reasonably good opening partnerships. Still, 34 runs for the first wicket, mainly courtesy Sehwag, did give India some kind of a launch pad.

However, the bold approach to go with five bowlers means India can feel they have a chance even if they manage a score around 300 on a ground where a team batting first normally scores above 400.

Five bowlers, all of them genuinely proving to be strike-bowlers, do provide more variety and depth to arrest the Aussie momentum at any stage. Just imagine Harbhajan and Ishant bowling in tandem to Ponting. Your bunny, or mine!

One also feels good about Sehwag. Despite Dravid’s failure to get going on one of his favourite grounds, Sehwag's blitz ensured a respectable lunch time score. And his inclusion proved that ‘’it is better late, than never’’. Below are two stories advocating Sehwag’s inclusion before Sydney encounter.

http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/sehwag-left-out-of-india-team.html

http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/sehwag-dravid-combo-finds-one-more.html

Possible combinations if India play five bowlers

Below is the link posted on January 6 when this blog had suggested Sehwag, Pathan and Karthik in the team, while hoping that five bowlers would play at Perth.

http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/team-for-perth-shoudl-have-sehwag.html

Since India opted for a four-bowler attack and decided not to replace Jaffer, Harbhajan and Yuvraj paved the way for Sehwag and Irfan.

Now there are two possible combinations before Adelaide, and again, five bowlers including Harbhajan are recommended. India must be prepared to compromise a little on batting to ensure that Australia are unable to bat themselves out of trouble.

However, if India play with five bowlers and retain Dhoni, one fears that either Dhoni or Dravid will have to open again

V Sehwag (Opener)
Dhoni/Dravid (Opener)
V Laxman
S Tendulkar
S Ganguly
Dhoni/Dravid
Irfan Pathan
Harbhajan Singh
Kumble
RP Singh
Ishant Sharma

But if India want conventional openers and opt for five bowlers, the combination should have

V Sehwag (Opener)
Dinesh Karthik or Jaffer (Opener)
V Laxman
S Tendulkar
S Ganguly
R Dravid
Irfan Pathan
Harbhajan Singh
Anil Kumble
RP Singh
Ishant Sharma

Now it will be difficult to omit Dhoni after such a splendid show with the bat at Perth, but India might need two spinners at Adelaide. Even at Perth, one can imagine the scary scenario without Sehwag getting his spinning deliveries to work, and getting the scalps of Gilchrist and Lee.

However, if India play with just four bowlers, the choice left will only be whether to retain Jaffer or bring in Dinesh Karthik.

Despite repeated failures, the only thing that could save Jaffer now is that having played six innings on this tour, he may be having a fair idea of what to expect at Adelaide. Probably, that will help him succeed.

The timing could not have been worse!

Today the Indian selectors dropped Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly from the ODI squad.

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2008/jan/20team.htm

The timing of team selection could not have been more inopportune. Could not the 'wise men' have waited for the Adelaide encounter to be over.

What is the point in demoralising two of the most important team members before such a critical test.

No wonder, Mohinder Amarnath had once used such strong words against them.

Everything done today is beyond logic. It might well affect India's chances in Adelaide.

I STILL DO NOT HAVE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE WIN...

...SO I WON'T EVEN MAKE AN ATTEMPT.
THE ONLY REQUEST TODAY IS TO READ THE LINK BELOW IN RED.
http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2008/01/prey-turns-predator.html

After Bucknor, Benson's experience...

...The two umpires have a huge task of ensuring that the credibility of the game does not take a beating.

Prey Turns Predator

Sania Mirza’s match will be the first one at Rod Laver Arena at 7.30 PM Melbourne Time (5.30 PM Perth time and 2 PM Indian Standard Time). The trend at Perth should be clear by that time!

As of now, the chance is that the 31st seed has more chance of winning against Venus Williams, than Australia has of preventing India from reducing their lead to 1-2 in the series!

Probably, even the die-hard cricket fans in India might get so much bored of the Indian domination, that they will keep surfing the channels to watch Sania in action.

It is ironical indeed that the Indian team, expected to be mauled by the rampaging Australians before the series began, is actually having the better of exchanges.

I can still recall the words of Pat Symcox on NDTV before the series began, when he had said that it was important for India to take the game into the fifth day to win. Experts on various others channels were also of the same view that India must stay in the test for long, to win it.

It is ironical that now, with 348 runs still needed, Australia might need to take the game into the fifth day to win! Though, realistically, a win for either team should come today. Considering that the Australians score at 3.5 to four runs per over irrespective of the situation, and after the 1st day dominated by batsmen, as many as 26 wickets have tumbled in next two days.

As Sunil Gavaskar had said, India must guard against complacency. The batsmen who have not scored runs, now must score them on the field. That is the point number one for India to succeed.

The second is that they must always pitch the ball up. They will get hit, but their swinging deliveries will bother the Australians more than the short-pitched stuff. Though the one that got Gilchrist in the 1st innings was a beauty, and a great surprise tactics by RP after he was hit for three consecutive fours!

It also won’t be a bad idea to try part-time bowlers in between, to unsettle the set batsmen. Michael Clarke was the second most economical Australian yesterday, while Andrew Symonds chipped in with two at critical junctures. Australia could well have been chasing 450 plus, with a tiring frontline attack, had these two not been bowling.

Even if a partnership is worth over 100 runs, India must not get ultra-defensive. One wicket on this track yields at least one to two more. Australia will need at least two very good partnerships of over 100 to win this game. And it is the fourth innings!

Even after all this, if the Australians win, Indians must join in the celebrations as that will be a tribute to their never-say-die spirit, and never ending search for excellence.

As Australia begin their reply...

They better start with the knowledge that only two sessions out of the eight (Till tea on Day three) have produced an average of 40+ per wicket. And that happened on the first two days, when the pitch is usually at its very best.

The first session of the match had India making 74 for two – an average of 37 per wicket.

The second session was the best of the match so far, the only wicketless session, when Dravid and Tendulkar added over 100 runs.

The third session saw the addition of another 120 runs to India’s kitty, but the visitors also lost four top batsmen. The average per wicket for this session turned out to be 30.

The fourth session, the morning session of day two, spelt mayhem for both the teams. India lost four tailenders while Australia lost three top order batsmen for the addition of just 55 runs. So the average was a measly 7.9 per wicket.

The fifth session saw Australia losing just two wickets, while adding 126 more runs. So the average was a healthy 63, but driven by a dropped catch of Symonds.

The final session of the day two saw Australia folding up for 212 and India making 52 for one. So 116 runs were added for six wickets, an average of 19.3.

Seventh Session, the morning session of day three: India added 106 runs, but lost four wickets. An average of 26.5

The eighth session saw India going little slow. 87 runs for three wickets came at the average of 29.

So Australia have a very tough job. Made tougher by the fact that Indians seem to have learnt how to bowl at them.

Sehwag's terrible miss on day of Irfan's hits

(in Jest!)

No. We are not talking about Sehwag’s inability today to take advantage of the life given by Hussey.

Instead, here we are talking about Sehwag’s failure to respond to Brett Lee, when, after hitting Irfan on shoulder, the Aussie paceman was trying to enter into a chat with him once again about the pace of Perth.

The swashbuckling opener, who never lets go an opportunity to hit a loose ball, should have responded to this loose talk by requesting Lee to be friend with him as well. It would have been ideal had he said, “You seem to be very friendly with our bowlers. Why aren't you trying to be friends with me now? I'm a bowler, as well (Even though part-time).'

Remember Symonds words to Harbhajan, after he had touched Lee.

"You seem to be very friendly with our bowlers. Aren't you trying to be friends with me now? I'm a bowler, as well’’, that is how Tendulkar had recalled the conversation, while adding that it was just one of those things.

Do not get despondent, we still lead by a whopping 276 runs!!!